Garment with Cup Sections

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a garment with cup sections, which prevents the occurrence of slippage due to an action of a wearer or the like and thus can maintain the wearer&#39;s bust silhouette fine without any effort of correcting the slippage when it is worn. The garment with cup sections according to the present invention includes: a pair of cup sections ( 101 ) and a back cloth(s) ( 103 ). The back cloth ( 103 ) is arranged on the lateral sides of the cup sections ( 101 ). Each of the cup sections ( 101 ) includes a stretchable member(s) ( 101   a ) and a linear or strip-shaped interlining member(s) ( 105 ). At least one end of the interlining member ( 105 ) is on a verge&#39;s line-corresponding portion in the cup section ( 101 ), and the stretchable member ( 101   a ) is arranged in a region between the interlining member ( 105 ) and the lower edge of the cup section ( 101 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a garment with cup sections.

BACKGROUND ART

A garment with cup sections, e.g., a brassiere, comes in severalvarieties, one of which is a strapless type having no shoulder straps.Strapless brassieres are used widely for occasions of wearingoff-the-shoulder clothes, for example. However, in the case of astrapless brassiere, a wearer tends to be particularly anxious aboutdownward slippage of the brassiere, which may cause the wearer to beacutely aware of even a slight slippage and to correct the position ofthe brassiere over and over again. Also, in order to prevent thebrassiere from slipping down, the wearer sometimes may limit hermovements, such as avoiding moving her arms up and down, for example.Under these circumstances, there is a demand for a strapless brassierethat can achieve improved stability of wearer's breasts when it is worn.Thus, a brassiere in which each cup section includes bones that extendvertically has been proposed in order to stabilize the shape of awearer's breasts when the brassiere is worn (see Patent Document 1, forexample). Also, with the aim of achieving the shape stabilityparticularly in strapless brassieres, a brassiere has been proposed inwhich each cup cloth is provided with elastic bone members that extendsubstantially vertically (see Patent Document 2, for example).

CITATION LIST Patent Document(s)

Patent Document 1: JP 9(1997)-157912 A

Patent Document 2: JP 7(1995)-252704 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

However, even if the shape of breasts is stabilized in the static statewhen a brassiere is worn, the brassiere is liable to slip down when thewearer moves her arm(s) up and down largely or the wearer jumps, forexample. When the wearer raises her arm, her nipple is brought to ahigher position and the verge's profile (a contour of the base of abreast) turns from a horizontally long oval to a vertically long oval. Aconventional brassiere cannot sufficiently deal with the breast'smovement or the change in shape of the breast, thus causing the breastto bulge out from an upper edge and a side part of a cup section,resulting in out-of-shape wearing, and the breast that has bulged outitself pushes down the cup section. FIG. 13 schematically shows themovement of a breast when a person wearing a conventional brassiereraises her right arm with her body leaning toward the left side. Whenthe wearer raises her arm, a wire in a cup support section opens towardthe direction indicated with the arrow I, and an upper edge of the cupsection leans toward a direction away from the breast. This causes thewearer's breast to bulge out from the upper edge and the side part ofthe cup section. When the arm is moved up and down repeatedly, theportion that has bulged out becomes greater, and downward slippage ofthe brassiere becomes more and more significant (accumulated slippage).FIGS. 14A and 14B are side views schematically showing the breastmovement at the time of a jump action. In each of FIGS. 14A and 14B, thedashed line indicates a breast in the static state. When a person jumpsinto the air, her breasts are lifted up, as indicated with the solidline in FIG. 14A. Then, when her feet come down to the ground, herbreasts swing back downward widely, as indicated with the solid line inFIG. 14B. If she wears a brassiere, a large impact caused by this breastmovement is exerted on the entire cup sections of the brassiere at once.As a result, the brassiere as a whole slips downward (impact slippage).This occurs not only in strapless brassieres but also in brassieres withstraps and garments with cup sections such as camisoles with cupsections.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment withcup sections, which prevents the occurrence of slippage due to an actionof a wearer or the like and thus can maintain the wearer's bustsilhouette fine without any effort to correct slippage when it is worn.

Means for Solving Problem

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides agarment with cup sections, including: a pair of cup sections; and a backcloth. The back cloth is arranged on lateral sides of the cup sections.Each of the cup sections includes a stretchable member and a linear orstrip-shaped interlining member. At least one end of the interliningmember is on a verge's line (a semicircular contour on the lower edge ofa breast)—corresponding portion in the cup section. The stretchablemember is arranged in a region between the interlining member and alower edge of the cup section.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a garmentwith cup sections, which prevents the occurrence of slippage due to anaction of a wearer or the like and thus can maintain the wearer's bustsilhouette fine without any effort to correct slippage when it is worn.This advantageous effect can be obtained regardless of whether thegarment has straps or not.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing, as an example of the garment withcup sections according to the present invention, a brassiere accordingto a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows the vicinity of a cup section in the brassiere according tothe first embodiment.

FIGS. 3A to 3F show the vicinity of a cup section in modified examplesof the brassiere according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the brassiere according to thefirst embodiment in a strapless form.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing, as another example of the garmentwith cup sections according to the present invention, a brassiereaccording to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing, as still another example of thegarment with cup sections according to the present invention, abrassiere according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a brassiere-provided camisole, which is yet another exampleof the garment with cup sections according to the present invention.FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the brassiere-provided camisole. FIG.7B is a front view showing the vicinity of cup sections in an inside-outstate, and FIG. 7C is a back view of the same.

FIG. 8 shows a brassiere-provided camisole, which is yet another exampleof the garment with cup sections according to the present invention.FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the brassiere-provided camisole, andFIG. 8B is a back view of the same.

FIG. 9 shows still other examples of the garment with cup sectionsaccording to the present invention. FIG. 9A is a perspective viewshowing a triangle bra, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing acamisole.

FIG. 10 shows still other examples of the garment with cup sectionsaccording to the present invention. FIG. 10A is a perspective viewshowing a long-line brassiere, and FIG. 10B is a perspective viewshowing a bustier.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a tube top as yet another exampleof the garment with cup sections according to the present invention.

FIG. 12A shows breast shapes observed in wearing evaluation. Photographsin FIG. 12A show three-dimensional shapes of chest parts when brassieresare worn by indicating moire interference fringes as contour lines. Thephotographs (a) show the state before an action (the static state), thephotographs (b) show the state where a test user has raised her rightarm, the photographs (c) show the state after the test user carried outthe arm-shaking action 10 times, and the photographs (d) shows the testuser carried out the jump action 10 times.

FIG. 12B show photographs of the chest part shown in the moirephotographs (a) and (c) of FIG. 12A as viewed from the side.

FIG. 13 schematically shows the movement of a breast when a personwearing a brassiere raises her arm.

FIG. 14 shows side views schematically showing the movement of a breastwhen a person jumps. FIG. 14A shows the state of the breast when shejumps into the air. FIG. 14B shows the state of the breast when her feetcome down to the ground.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, itis preferable that each of the cup sections includes two interliningmembers, and the interlining members are arranged on a front center sideand a lateral side of the cup section. Also, it is preferable that thetwo interlining members are arranged in such a manner that an end of oneof the interlining members is in contact with an end of the otherinterlining member in the vicinity of the lowest point on the verge'sline-corresponding portion.

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, itis preferable that the interlining member passes through an intermediateregion that lies between a bust top-corresponding position and theverge's line-corresponding portion.

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, itis preferable that the interlining member is arched.

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, theinterlining member may be a tape-like interlining member.

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, itis preferable that, in each of the cup sections, a portion excluding thestretchable member is molded integrally to form an integrally moldedmember. It is more preferable that, in the integrally molded member, aportion corresponding to the interlining member is harder than any otherportion.

In the garment with cup sections according to the present invention, itis preferable that, at lower edges of the pair of cup sections, cupsupport sections for supporting the cup sections are arranged.

The garment with cup sections according to the present invention can beused suitably as a brassiere. In particular, the present inventionexhibits a prominent effect when applied to a strapless brassiere. Thus,the garment with cup sections according to the present invention can beused preferably as a strapless brassiere. It is also preferable that thegarment with cup sections according to the present invention isconfigured so as to include interlining members arranged on the frontcenter sides of the cup sections, and the stretchable members on thefront center sides of the pair of cup sections are connected to eachother. This configuration is applicable to a bustier and the like. Thegarment with cup sections according to the present invention also isapplicable to a garment like a so-called long-line brassiere, which ischaracterized in that it further includes a bodice section in whichbones extending vertically are arranged and the interlining members arearranged integrally with the bones.

The garment with the cup sections according to the present inventionwill be described with reference to illustrative examples. It is to benoted, however, the present invention is by no means limited to orrestricted by the following examples.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 shows a brassiere 100 according to a first embodiment of thegarment with cup sections of the present invention. FIG. 1 is aperspective view showing the brassiere 100 of the present embodiment inthe state where back cloths 103 are connected to each other. Thebrassiere 100 of the present embodiment is a so-called half-cupbrassiere that includes: a pair of cup sections 101; a pair of cupsupport sections 102 for supporting the cup sections 101, respectively;a pair of back cloths 103; and a pair of detachable shoulder straps 104.The pair of cup support sections 102 are arranged at the lower edges ofthe pair of cup sections 101, respectively, and a base section 110 isarranged under the lower edges of the pair of cup support sections 102.The pair of cup support sections 102 are formed along the verge's lines,and connected to each other via the base section 110. One end of each ofthe pair of back cloths 103 is attached to the lateral side of each cupsupport section 102 via the base section 110. Interlocking connectionsections 106 are attached to the other ends of the pair of back cloths103, respectively, so that the pair of back cloths 103 can be connectedand disconnected freely at around the center of a wearer's back. Thepair of cup sections 101 each include: interlining members 105;stretchable members 101 a; and a non-stretchable member 101 b. Eachinterlining member 105 is arched, and both ends of the interliningmember 105 are connected to the cup support section 102. Eachstretchable member 101 a is arranged between the interlining member 105and the cup support section 102. The term “arched” as used herein meansa curved shape protruding upward. In the present embodiment, theinterlining members 105 are arranged in two portions in each cup section101, namely, a portion on the front center side and a portion on thelateral side in a lower part of the cup section.

FIG. 2 shows the vicinity of the cup section 101 of the brassiere 100 ofthe present embodiment. The stretchable members 101 a are arranged inthe lower part of the cup section 101. Thus, for example, owing tostretching of the stretchable members 101 a in the directions indicatedwith the arrows shown in FIG. 2A, the cup section 101 can follow themovement of a wearer's breast in various directions. Also, even in thecase where a wearer's breasts move greatly when, for example, the wearerjumps to exert an impact on the cup sections 101, the stretchablemembers 101 a can absorb this impact. Thus, the cup sections 101 returnto their static state quickly while preventing the cup support sections102 and the base section 110 from being affected by the impact. As aresult, the “impact slippage” as described above can be prevented.

Moreover, in the brassiere 100 of the present embodiment, thethree-dimensional shape of each cup section can be maintained by thetension of the interlining members 105. More specifically, even if thestretchable members 101 a are stretched, the change in shape of thenon-stretchable member 101 b constituting the cup section 101 isinhibited by the tension of the interlining members 105, as shown inFIG. 2B. This allows the brassiere according to the present invention tofollow the movement of a wearer's breasts while maintaining the shapesof the cup sections when the wearer is in action. Thus, the wearer'sbreasts are less liable to bulge out from upper parts or side parts ofthe cup sections 101. As a result, the “accumulation slippage” asdescribed above also can be prevented. In particular, when two archedinterlining members are provided as in the present embodiment, it ispossible to prevent a central portion in the lower part of each cupsection (a portion between these interlining members) from becomingwrinkled and thus prevent the cup sections themselves from slippingdown. Therefore, the shapes of the cup sections can be maintained moreeffectively.

In the present embodiment, the interlining members 105 each showing asubstantially semicircular contour are arranged in two portions, namely,a portion on the front center side and a portion on the lateral side ina lower part of each cup section 101. In order to prevent downwardslippage of the base section 110, the lower part of each cup sections101 may entirely be formed of a stretchable member. However, this maycause the cup sections themselves to become wrinkled, resulting indownward slippage of the cup sections as a whole. Thus, as in thepresent embodiment, it is preferable to arrange the arched interliningmembers 105 in two portions in such a manner that at least one end ofeach arched interlining member 105 is on a verge's line-correspondingportion at the lower edge of the cup section 101, and to arrange thenon-stretchable member 101 b between these two interlining members. Inthis case, as shown in FIG. 3A, it is preferable that the twointerlining members 105 provided in the two portions are arranged insuch a manner that the end of one of the interlining members is incontact with the end of the other interlining member in the vicinity ofthe lowest point of the cup support section 102. In the case where theend of one of the interlining members is in contact with the end of theother interlining member, not only the ends of the interlining membersbut also portions including the ends of the interlining members may bein contact with each other. In the case where the interlining membersare arranged in two portions as in the present embodiment, the distancebetween the interlining members, the positions of the respectiveinterlining members, etc. may be adjusted depending on the breast volumeof a wearer, the shape and design of the brassiere, etc.

One of the stretchable members 101 a preferably is arranged in a regionincluding the midpoint M between the lowest point and the lateralside-end point of the cup support section 102 shown in FIG. 2C. As shownin FIG. 3B, the stretchable member 101 a may be provided so as to extendto the lateral side-end point of the cup support section 102.

The shape of the interlining member 105 is not limited to an archedshape. The interlining member 105 may be linear as shown in FIG. 3C, ormay have a shape including a bend as shown in FIG. 3D. The interliningmember may have a strip shape with a certain width, or it may be linearlike a wire. In the case where the interlining member has a width, thewidth preferably is within about 3 cm. Also, the interlining member mayhave a varying width. For example, as shown in FIG. 3E, it is alsopossible to use a substantially triangular interlining member with avarying width. Regarding the ends of the interlining member 105, it isonly necessary that at least one end is on a verge's line-correspondingportion in the cup section 101, and the front center side-end and/or thelateral side-end of the interlining member 105 may extend to the upperedge of the cup, for example. Although FIG. 3C shows an embodiment wherethe interlining member 105 arranged on the front center side has a frontcenter side-end extending to the upper edge of the cup section, thepresent invention is not limited thereto. The interlining memberarranged on the lateral side and an interlining member with any othershape also may have the same configuration. The shapes of theinterlining member illustrated above are applicable not only to theinterlining member on the front center side but also to the interliningmember on the lateral side. Also, as shown in FIG. 3F, the front centerside-end and the lateral side-end of the interlining member may beconfigured so as not to extend to the edge of the cup section. In thiscase, the interlining members may extend as high as about the busttop-corresponding position. When the interlining members are configuredas shown in FIG. 3F, in the cup section divided by the interliningmembers, each stretchable member is arranged in a region between theinterlining member and the cup lower edge, i.e., a region on the sidewithout a bust top. As described above, a region where the stretchablemember is arranged is not limited to a region “surrounded” by theinterlining member and the cup section lower edge.

A maximum width L shown in FIG. 2C of the region where the stretchablemember 101 a is arranged, i.e., a maximum distance between theinterlining member 105 and the cup support section 102 preferably is atleast 1.0 cm. When the maximum width L is less than 1.0 cm, the effectdue to the stretching cannot be obtained sufficiently. The upper limitof the width, which varies depending on the size of the brassiere,preferably is set so that the stretchable member 101 a does not extendover the bust top-corresponding position. When the stretchable member101 a is too wide, the breast-shaping properties and the stability ofbreasts when the brassiere is worn might be insufficient. The width canbe designed considering the positions of the interlining members 105 inthe cup section 101 to be described below. As a material of thestretchable members 101 a, it is possible to use a stretch material,such as a tulle power net fabric, a one-way power net fabric, a powernet fabric, a two-way tricot, or a plain knitted fabric, for example.The stretch material preferably is attached to the brassiere with aslight tension being applied thereto, because this prevents theoccurrence of slack when a person wearing the brassiere turns around herbody. When the stretchable members 101 a are arranged in a plurality ofregions, the respective regions may have the stretchable members formedof different materials.

The stretchable members 101 a preferably have breathability. In a regionaround breasts, the amount of sweating is greatest at portions directlyabove the verge's lines. By providing the breathable stretchable members101 a in a lower part of each cup section 101, it is possible to improveairflow at portions with large amounts of sweating. By providing thebreathable stretchable members 101 a in the above portions, thebrassiere provides excellent breathability in the vicinity of theverge's lines when it is worn, so that the brassiere can attain finewearing feeling.

The interlining members 105 preferably are arranged so that they passthrough an intermediate region A that lies between a busttop-corresponding position T and the verge's line-corresponding portion,as shown in FIG. 2C. In order to lift up a wearer's breasts effectively,it is effective to push up the above region. When the interliningmembers 105 are arranged so as to pass through the region A, theinterlining members 105 can support and lift up the wearer's breasts toattain excellent breast-shaping properties. By arranging the interliningmember 105 so as to pass through the lateral side of the region A, aneffect of pushing the wearer's breasts toward the center also can beobtained.

As the interlining member 105, it is possible to use, for example, atape-like interlining member, such as an amorphous wire, a metal wire, aresin wire, or a fabric tape. The fabric tape may be a laminate of twoor more pieces of fabric. In particular, a fabric tape that has amulti-ply weave construction obtained by laminating two or more piecesof woven fabric in the thickness direction and is adapted so that thestretchability on one side in the width direction is higher than thestretchability on the other side maintains a curved shape in the widthdirection. Such a curved tape can maintain a curved state withoutinserting a wire therethrough.

As the non-stretchable members 101 b, it is possible to use any materialused as a material of cup sections in ordinary brassieres asappropriate. For example, the non-stretchable members 101 b may beformed by bonding a plurality of pieces of thick nonwoven fabric, or maybe formed using a urethane foam; a nonwoven fabric; a thick sheet-likecircular knitted fabric (a knitted fabric with a cross-section similarto that of a corrugated cardboard) knitted with a highly elastic yarnsuch as polyurethane; or a thick sheet-like warp-knitted fabric (doublerussell) knitted with a highly elastic yarn such as polyurethane, forexample. When the material is too soft to keep the three-dimensionalshape of the cup sections, an additional interlining member(s) may bearranged in each cup section, regardless of the position of thestretchable members.

In the cup section 101, the interlining members 105 and thenon-stretchable member 101 b may be molded integrally to form anintegrally molded member. In this case, for example, the integrallymolded member may be formed so that interlining member-correspondingportions are harder than a non-stretchable member-corresponding portion.The term “hard” as used herein means a hardness sufficient formaintaining the shapes of the interlining member-corresponding portionsto an extent similar to that when an amorphous wire, a metal wire, aresin wire, a fabric tape, or the like is used as the material of theinterlining members. Alternatively, the fabric tape, wire, or the likemay be provided in the interlining member-corresponding portions in theintegrally molded member. As a material of the integrally molded member,it is possible to use, for example, a urethane foam; a nonwoven fabric;a thick sheet-like circular knitted fabric (a knitted fabric with across-section similar to that of a corrugated cardboard) knitted with ahighly elastic yarn such as polyurethane; or a thick sheet-likewarp-knitted fabric (double russell) knitted with a highly elastic yarnsuch as polyurethane, for example.

In order to obtain an integrally molded member with the interliningmember-corresponding portions being hard, the integrally molded membermay be produced in the following manner, for example. A material asdescribed above with a uniform thickness is provided, and subjected tocompression molding using a mold with a desired shape. A portion to bethin after the molding is compressed strongly and thus becomes hard. Aportion to be thick after the molding is compressed weakly and thusbecomes soft. Thus, it is possible to obtain an integrally molded memberhaving a suitable thickness and a suitable softness. Accordingly, byforming the interlining member-corresponding portions thinner, it ispossible to make the portions harder than other portions.

Alternatively, it is also possible to make the interliningmember-corresponding portions harder by laminating a plurality ofmaterials and then compressing them. For example, in the case whereurethane foam is used as a material of the integrally molded member, thecompression may be carried out with a nonwoven fabric being sandwichedbetween urethane and urethane at the interlining member-correspondingportions. Also, by providing a material including portions withdifferent thicknesses as an original material before being subjected tothe compression and then compressing the material so as to have auniform thickness, the portions thicker than other portions before thecompression can be made hard. The hardness can be changed also by such amethod.

In the present embodiment, portions where the non-stretchable members101 b are arranged may be formed using a material that is notnon-stretchable. Furthermore, although the base section 110 extends overthe lateral side of the cup sections 101 in the present embodiment, thebase section 110 may extend in the middle of the lower edge of each cupsection 101. By providing the base section 110, it is possible toimprove the wearing stability at the under bust part.

One end of each shoulder strap 104 passes through a connection device108 a attached to the upper edge of the cup section 101 and turns aroundto be introduced into a length adjuster 108 b, which is an eight-shapedring. In the state where the length of the shoulder strap 104 isadjustable, the other end of the shoulder strap 104 is attached to theupper edge of the back cloth 103. The connection devices 108 a also canbe attached to the upper edge of the cup section 101 and the upper edgeof the back cloth 103 in a detachable manner. By attaching theconnection devices 108 a in a detachable manner, the brassiere can beworn with or without straps. The form of the shoulder straps 104 is notlimited thereto. For example, a so-called “halter-neck” type strap(s)connecting the upper parts of the pair of cup sections 101 may beemployed. The positions at which the shoulder straps 104 are attachedcan be determined depending on the shape of the cup sections 101 and thedesign of the brassiere. In the case of a half-cup brassiere, theposition at which the shoulder strap 104 is attached in each cup section101 generally is closer to the lateral side, as compared to that in afull cup brassiere to be described below. By setting the positions atwhich the shoulder straps 104 are attached so as to be closer to thelateral sides, it becomes possible to push up a wearer's breasts fromthe sides more strongly, thereby emphasizing the cleavage between thebreasts and the swelling at upper parts of the breasts.

The shoulder straps 104 are not limited as long as they allows the cupsections 101 to be suspended from a wearer's shoulders. The shoulderstraps may be formed of cords or fabric tapes. Also, a so-called “roundtype” strap, which is a wide strap as used in a tank top, may beemployed. The present invention is not limited to an embodiment wherethe pair of shoulder straps 104 are attached to the pair of cup sections101 in one-to-one correspondence with the ends of each shoulder strapbeing attached to an upper part of the cup section 101 and to the backcloth 103. For example, like shoulder straps as used in a sports typebrassiere, two shoulder straps 104 may be integrated on the back side,and this integrated strap may be attached to the back cloth 103. Also,as shown in FIG. 4, the brassiere according to the present invention maybe in a strapless form without the shoulder straps 104. Since downwardslippage is less liable to occur in the brassiere according to thepresent invention, one can realize the advantageous effect of theinvention especially when the brassiere is used in the strapless form.Moreover, even when the brassiere has straps, it is not necessary thatthe straps have a function of preventing downward slippage. This expandsthe range of choices for the brassiere design, so that more fashionabledesigns become possible.

Although the brassiere of the present example uses a hook closure (e.g.,a hook-and-eye closure) as the interlocking connection sections 106,other connection devices such as grippers, buttons, cords, and hook andloop fasteners also can be selected and used as appropriate depending onthe design or use of the brassiere. When the above-describedhook-and-eye closure, gripper, or button is used, it is preferable toprovide a plurality of locking positions in advance so as to allow fineadjustment of the degree of fastening. Other kinds of connection devicesalso may be used. It is not always necessary that the back cloths 103have the interlocking connection sections 106. For example, thebrassiere may be a front closure type with the interlocking connectionsections 106 being provided in the front center. Alternatively, thebrassiere may be a brassiere without the interlocking connectionsections 106 or a brassiere with back cloths to be fastened by tyingthem together.

In a half-cup brassiere to which the configuration of the presentinvention as illustrated in the present embodiment is applied,especially the lower cup sections become stable. Conventional half-cupbrassieres cannot accommodate an impact exerted by a wearer's breasts,so that cup sections tend to lean forward. In contrast, in the brassiereaccording to the present embodiment, the leaning and slippage of the cupsections due to an action of a wearer or the like are less liable tooccur.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 5 shows a brassiere 200 according to a second embodiment of thegarment with cup sections of the present invention. FIG. 5 is aperspective view showing the brassiere 200 of the present embodiment inthe state where back cloths 203 are connected to each other. Thebrassiere 200 of the present embodiment is a so-called ¾ cup brassierethat includes: a pair of cup sections 201; a pair of cup supportsections 202 for supporting the cup sections 201, respectively; a pairof back cloths 203; and a pair of shoulder straps 204. The pair of cupsupport sections 202 are arranged at the lower edges of the pair of cupsections 201, respectively, and a base section 210 is arranged under thelower edges of the pair of cup support sections 202. The pair of cupsupport sections 202 are formed along the verge's lines, and connectedto each other via the base section 210.

In the case of a ¾ cup brassiere, the position to which the shoulderstrap 204 is attached in each cup section 201 is closer to the middle ofthe cup section 201. The shoulder straps 204 lift up a wearer's breastsentirely, thus setting the position of the center of gravity of thebreasts high. As in the brassiere 100 of the first embodiment, the pairof cup sections 201 each include: interlining members 205; stretchablemembers 201 a, and a non-stretchable member 201 b. Each interliningmember 205 is arched, and both ends of the interlining member 205 areconnected to the cup support section 202. Each stretchable member 201 ais arranged between the interlining member 205 and the cup supportsection 202. In the present embodiment, each cup section 201 has theinterlining members 205 in two portions, namely, a portion on the frontcenter side and a portion on the lateral side in a lower part of eachcup section 201. An end of one of the interlining members is in contactwith an end of the other interlining member in the vicinity of theirconnection portions to the cup support section 202, but the form of theinterlining members is not limited thereto. In the case of a ¾ cupbrassiere with straps, the interlining members may be in contact witheach other on the side closer to the lateral side relative to the lowestpoint. Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1, andthe same effect as in Embodiment 1 also can be obtained. In particular,in a ¾ cup brassiere employing the configuration of the presentinvention, a wearer's breasts can be supported stably at side parts ofthe cup sections.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 6 shows a brassiere 300 according to a third embodiment of thegarment with cup sections of the present invention. FIG. 6 is aperspective view showing the brassiere 300 of the present embodiment inthe state where back cloths 103 are connected to each other. Thebrassiere 300 of the present embodiment does not include a base section,and cup support sections 102 are connected to each other via a frontcenter member 307. One end of each of the pair of back cloths 103 isattached directly to the lateral side of each cup support section 102.Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1. Even if abase section is not provided, it is also possible to provide a brassierethat can still prevent the occurrence of “impact slippage” and“accumulation slippage” and thus can maintain a wearer's bust silhouettefine. Therefore, design variations of the brassiere according to thepresent invention can be increased.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 7 shows a brassiere-provided camisole 400 as another example of thegarment with cup sections according to the present invention. FIG. 7A isa perspective view of the brassiere-provided camisole. FIG. 7B is afront view showing the vicinity of cup sections in an inside-out state,and FIG. 7C is a back view of the same.

This brassiere-provided camisole 400 is a strapless brassiere-providedcamisole with a brassiere-corresponding part being provided on theinside of a bodice of the camisole. As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, thebrassiere-provided camisole 400 includes a brassiere-corresponding partdesigned based on substantially the same concept as that for thebrassiere 100 described with reference to FIG. 1 in a strapless form. Inthe present embodiment, the brassiere-provided camisole 400 has a bodice401 provided so as to cover the brassiere-corresponding part. A backcloth 103 does not have interlocking connection sections, and thebrassiere-provided camisole 400 can be put on and taken off withoutoperating interlocking connection sections. Other configurations aresubstantially the same as those in the brassiere 100 shown in FIG. 1.Components identical to those in FIG. 1 are given the same referencenumerals, and duplicate explanations therefor are omitted. Although thepresent embodiment is directed to the brassiere-provided camisole havingthe brassiere-corresponding part designed based on substantially thesame concept as that for the brassiere 100 according to the firstembodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. Thebrassiere-provided camisole may have a brassiere-corresponding partaccording to any other embodiment. The brassiere-provided camisole ofthe present example may be embodied in the form without the back cloth103. With the configuration of the present example, it is possible toprevent downward slippage that may occur in garments having no shoulderparts when a wearer is in action.

Fifth Embodiment

Next, as still another example of the garment with cup sectionsaccording to the present invention, FIG. 8 shows a brassiere-providedcamisole 500. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the brassiere-providedcamisole 500, and FIG. 8B is a back view of the same. Abrassiere-corresponding part in this brassiere-provided camisole 500 isdesigned based on substantially the same concept as that for thebrassiere 100 described with reference to FIG. 1. In the presentembodiment, the brassiere-provided camisole 500 has, under a basesection 110, a lower chest bodice 501 and a skirt section 502 connectedthereto. Although the lower chest bodice 501 and the skirt section 502are provided under the back cloth 103 in the present example, the skirtsection 502 may be attached directly to the lower edge of the back cloth103. Other configurations are substantially the same as those in thebrassiere 100 shown in FIG. 1. Components identical to those in FIG. 1are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanationstherefor are omitted. Although the present embodiment is directed to thebrassiere-provided camisole having the brassiere-corresponding partdesigned based on substantially the same concept as that for thebrassiere 100 according to the first embodiment, the present inventionis not limited thereto. The brassiere-provided camisole may have abrassiere-corresponding part according to any other embodiment. Thebrassiere-provided camisole according to the present example may beembodied in the form without the back cloth 103.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG. 9A is a front view showing a triangle bra 600 a according to asixth embodiment of the garment with cup sections of the presentinvention. In the present embodiment, a rubber tape passes through partscorresponding to cup support sections in cup sections 601 and connectedto back cloths 603. The back cloths are connectable at a wearer's backwhen the triangle bra is worn. Other configurations are the same asthose in Embodiment 3. Even if cup support sections are not provided asin the present embodiment (such as a wireless form), it is also possibleto provide a brassiere that can still prevent the occurrence of “impactslippage” and “accumulation slippage” and thus can maintain a wearer'sbust silhouette fine. Therefore, design variations of the brassiereaccording to the present invention can be increased. It is to be notedthat the form without cup support sections, such as a wireless form, isnot limited to a triangle bra, and also is applicable to otherembodiments.

FIG. 9B shows a perspective view of a camisole 600 b as a modifiedexample of the present embodiment.

A brassiere-corresponding part in this camisole 600 b may have the samedesign as the triangle bra 600 a shown in FIG. 9A. Although the trianglebra 600 a employs a rubber tape in the parts corresponding to cupsupport sections, a ribbon or the like may be used instead of the rubbertape so as to reduce the feeling of tight pressure in wearing.

Seventh Embodiment

FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing a long-line brassiere 700according to a seventh embodiment of the garment with cup sections ofthe present invention.

This long-line brassiere 700 is a strapless type brassiere including thecup sections shown in FIG. 3A. A bodice 706 is provided under the cupsections, and bones 707 extending vertically are provided in the bodice706. Although the present embodiment is directed to the long-linebrassiere with the cup sections shown in FIG. 3A, the present inventionis not limited thereto. With the configuration of the present example,also in a garment such as a long-line brassiere, it is possible toprevent “impact slippage” and “accumulation slippage” and downwardslippage that may occur when a wearer is in action, thus maintaining awearer's bust silhouette fine. It is also possible to prevent downwardslippage or the like of the bones 707 in the long-line brassiere, sothat favorable wearing feeling can be obtained.

Eighth Embodiment

FIG. 10B shows a perspective view of a bustier 800 according to aneighth embodiment of the garment with cup sections of the presentinvention.

This bustier 800 does not include portions corresponding to cup supportsections. In a bodice 806 provided under cup sections, interliningmembers 805 are integrated with bones 807 arranged so as to extendvertically. As illustrated in FIG. 10B, each stretchable member 801 a isprovided in a region between the interlining member 805 and the loweredge of the cup section. The stretchable member 801 a may further extendup to around the upper edge of a waist part of the bodice 806 in aregion along the bone 807. With the configuration of the presentexample, also in a garment such as a bustier, it is possible to prevent“impact slippage” and “accumulation slippage” and downward slippage thatmay occur when a wearer is in action, thus maintaining a wearer's bustsilhouette fine. It is also possible to prevent downward slippage or thelike of the bones 807 in the bustier, so that favorable wearing feelingcan be obtained.

Ninth Embodiment

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a tube top 900 as yet anotherexample of the garment with cup sections according to the presentinvention.

In this tube top 900, in a brassiere-corresponding part, stretchablemembers 901 a on the front center sides of right and left cup sectionsare formed integrally with each other. The brassiere-corresponding partis in wireless form with no wire or the like being provided at the loweredges of the cup sections. A back cloth 103 does not have interlockingconnection sections, and the tube top 900 can be put on and taken offwithout operating interlocking connection sections. Although the presentembodiment is directed to the tube top in which the stretchable members901 a on the front center sides of the right and left cup sections areformed integrally with each other, the present invention is not limitedthereto. The tube top may have a brassiere-corresponding part accordingto any other embodiment. With the configuration of the present example,even in garments with no shoulder parts, such as a tube top, it ispossible to prevent “impact slippage” and “accumulation slippage” anddownward slippage that may occur when a wearer is in action, thusmaintaining a wearer's bust silhouette fine. Also, favorable wearingfeeling can be obtained.

(Subjective Evaluation in Wearing Test)

The following are the results of subjective wearing evaluation on thebrassiere 100 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1. Aplurality of test users conducted the following actions (1) and (2) inthe state where they wore each of the brassiere 100 and a conventionalbrassiere A, both in the form without straps (the form shown in FIG. 4):(1) 10 times of arm-shaking action; and (2) 10 times of jump action.Thereafter, the test users were asked for comments regarding wearingfeeling. The conventional brassiere A was a brassiere employing moldedcup sections with their lower parts being thicker. The arm-shakingaction was the following series of actions by each test user: “swingingup her right arm upright; bending her body to the left at about a90-degree angle while holding her right arm as it was; straightening upher body again; and pulling down her right arm”. The jump action was thefollowing action by each test user: “jumping vertically to the extentthat her feet were completely off the ground”. The test users were madeup of five persons. Three out of the five test users all had a cup sizeof C70, and their breast volumes were “large”, “medium”, and “small”,respectively. The remaining two had a cup size of E70, and their breastvolumes were both “medium”. In response to the question which of thebrassiere 100 and the conventional brassiere A prevented slippage in thearm-shaking action, four out of the five test users commented that thebrassiere according to the present invention did, and one commentedneither. In response to the question which of the brassiere 100 and theconventional brassiere A prevented slippage in the jump action, four outof the five test users answered that the brassiere according to thepresent invention did, and one commented neither. From these results, itwas found that downward slippage is less liable to occur in thebrassiere according to the present invention even when it is used in astrapless form.

Also, the same test users as above conducted the arm-shaking action andthe jump action in the state where they wore each of the brassiere 100and a conventional brassiere B, both in the form without straps.Thereafter, they were asked for comments regarding wearing feeling. Theconventional brassiere B was a strapless type brassiere with cut andsewn cup sections. The cup sections of the conventional brassiere B havegood breast-shaping properties, and the conventional brassiere B hadbeen evaluated as being less liable to cause out-of-shape wearing ascompared with the conventional brassiere A. As a result, in response tothe question which of the brassiere 100 and the conventional brassiere Bprevented slippage in the arm-shaking action, three out of the five testusers commented that the brassiere according to the present inventiondid, and two commented that the conventional brassiere B did. Regardingthe slippage in the jump action, four out of the five test userscommented that the brassiere according to the present invention did, andone commented that the conventional brassiere B did. From these results,it was found that downward slippage is less liable to occur in thebrassiere according to the present invention even when it is used in astrapless form.

(Evaluation Before and After Action)

The following are the results of wearing evaluation before and after theactions on the brassiere 100 according to the present invention shown inFIG. 1. FIG. 12A shows moire photographs showing the shapes of thebreasts of one of the test users when she wore each of the brassiere 100and the conventional brassiere B, both in the form without straps. Thephotographs in FIG. 12A show front views of the test user's chest partwhen the two kinds of brassieres were worn. Each photograph shows athree-dimensional shape of the chest part by indicating moireinterference fringes as contour lines. The photographs on the upper rowshow the state where the test user wore the brassiere 100, and thephotographs on the lower row show the state where the test user wore theconventional brassiere B. The test user had a cup size of E70 and a“medium” breast volume. In FIG. 12A, the photographs (a) show the statebefore an action (the static state), the photographs (b) show the statewhere the test user has raised her right arm, the photographs (c) showthe state after the test user carried out the arm-shaking action 10times, and the photographs (d) show the state after the test usercarried out the jump action 10 times. FIG. 12B shows photographs of thechest part shown in the moire photographs (a) and (c) as viewed from theside. Each photograph includes a reference line, which indicates thetest user's bust top position before the action.

It can be seen that, when the test user wore the brassiere 100 of thepresent invention, even after the 10 times of arm-shaking action and the10 times of jump action, the breast shape remained substantiallyunchanged as compared with that before these actions. In contrast, whenthe test user wore the conventional brassiere B, it can be seen from themoire interference fringes photographs and the side views of the samethat, after the 10 times of arm-shaking action, the shape of each cupsection turned to a “beak-like shape” such that an upper part of the cupsection curves inward so that the entire cup section is crushedvertically with a bust top-corresponding portion of the cup sectionprotruding forward. It also can be seen that, after the 10 times of jumpaction, the conventional brassiere B as a whole had slipped downward.

From these results, the following mechanism is speculated, which,however, does not limit the present invention. When the wearer raisesher arm, her nipple is brought to a higher position and the verge'sprofile turns from a horizontally long oval to a vertically long oval.The conventional brassiere B cannot sufficiently deal with the breast'smovement or the change in shape of the breast, thus causing the breastto bulge out from an upper edge and a side part of the cup section,resulting in out-of-shape wearing, and the breast that has bulged outitself pushes down the cup section. Furthermore, when the arm is movedup and down repeatedly, the portion that has bulged out becomes greater.As a result, each cup section is crushed vertically to have a “beak-likeshape”, so that downward slippage of the brassiere becomes moresignificant. In contrast, the brassiere according to the presentinvention can follow the movement of a wearer's breasts whilemaintaining the shapes of the cup sections when the wearer is in action.The brassiere according to the present invention thus prevents thebreasts from budging out from the cup sections, so that downwardslippage owing to a repeated action is less liable to occur. Moreover,even when a large impact is exerted on the brassiere when, for example,the wearer jumps, the stretchable members absorb the impact. Thus, it ispossible to bring the wearer's breasts to their static state whilepreventing the cup support sections and the base section from beingaffected by the impact. Therefore, downward slippage caused by impact isless liable to occur in the brassiere according to the presentinvention.

The present invention has been described above with reference tospecific examples of its embodiment, namely, a brassiere, abrassiere-provided camisole, a tube top, etc. It is to be noted,however, the garment with cup sections according to the presentinvention is not limited to these specific examples, and can be embodiedin various forms. For example, the present invention is applicable notonly to garments such as those described in the above embodiments, butalso to bodysuits and brassiere-provided slips. In addition to thesefoundation garments, the present invention also is applicable to tops ofseparate-type and one-piece-type swimsuits, leotards, and other variousgarments with cup sections. The present invention also is applicable tofront closure type garments whose front center parts are connected toeach other using a hook closure that can be connected and disconnectedfreely.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The garment with cup sections according to the present invention can beembodied in various forms. For example, the present invention isapplicable not only to foundation garments such as those described inthe above embodiments, but also to various garments with cup sectionssuch as sportswear and outerwear.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   100, 200, 300: brassiere-   101, 201, 601: cup section-   101 a, 201 a, 801 a, 901 a: stretchable member-   101 b, 201 b: non-stretchable member-   102, 202: cup support section-   103, 203, 603: back cloth-   104, 204: shoulder strap-   105, 205, 805: interlining member-   106: interlocking connection section-   108 a: connection device-   108 b: length adjuster-   110, 210: base section-   307: front center member-   400, 500: brassiere-provided camisole-   401: bodice-   501: lower chest bodice-   502: skirt section-   600 a: triangle bra-   600 b: camisole-   700: long-line brassiere-   706, 806: bodice-   707, 807: bone-   800: bustier-   900: tube top-   M: midpoint of the lowest point and the lateral side end point of    cup support section-   L: width of stretchable member-   T: bust top-corresponding position-   A: intermediate region

1. A garment with cup sections, comprising: a pair of cup sections; anda back cloth, wherein the back cloth is arranged on lateral sides of thecup sections, each of the cup sections includes a stretchable member anda linear or strip-shaped interlining member, at least one end of theinterlining member is on a verge's line-corresponding portion in the cupsection, and the stretchable member is arranged in a region between theinterlining member and a lower edge of the cup section.
 2. The garmentaccording to claim 1, wherein each of the cup sections includes twointerlining members, and the interlining members are arranged on a frontcenter side and a lateral side of the cup section.
 3. The garmentaccording to claim 2, wherein the two interlining members are arrangedin such a manner that an end of one of the interlining members is incontact with an end of the other interlining member in the vicinity ofthe lowest point on the verge's line-corresponding portion.
 4. Thegarment according to claim 1, wherein the interlining member passesthrough an intermediate region that lies between a busttop-corresponding position and the verge's line-corresponding portion.5. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the interlining member isarched.
 6. The garment according to claim 1, wherein in each of the cupsections, a portion excluding the stretchable member is moldedintegrally to form an integrally molded member.
 7. The garment accordingto claim 6, wherein in the integrally molded member, a portioncorresponding to the interlining member is harder than any otherportion.